Chapter 14 - The Ring in the Storm and the Vow of Eternal Protection
On the second anniversary of the night I had pounded on Tavlin’s door in the rain, a sudden autumn storm rolled across Manhattan.
Rain lashed against the windows of the penthouse, the wind howling across the East River just as it had two years earlier. But inside, the master suite was warm, filled with the crackle of a cedar wood fire and the soft, ambient glow of candlelight.
Lennox was fast asleep in his room, completely exhausted after spending the afternoon building a massive pillow fortress with Silas, who had become the boy’s fiercely devoted, spoil-him-rotten godfather.
Tavlin stood by the panoramic glass window, watching the rain streak down the glass, holding a glass of red wine. She wore a simple, elegant emerald-green silk dress that brought out the warmth of her skin.
I walked up behind her, wrapping my arms around her waist, resting my chin on her shoulder.
"What are you thinking about?" I asked softly.
"Two years ago tonight," she murmured, leaning back into my warmth. "I opened that door, Mercer. I had a butcher knife hidden behind the entryway table, fully prepared to stab you if you tried to take my baby."
I laughed softly against her neck. "I have no doubt you would have succeeded."
"I was so terrified," she whispered, turning in my arms to look up at me. "And now... when the storm comes, I don't feel afraid anymore. Because I know who is standing beside me."
"Always," I promised.
I reached into the pocket of my trousers and pulled out a small, velvet-lined box.
Tavlin’s breath caught in her throat.
I didn't kneel because of mob tradition or royal vanity; I dropped to one knee out of pure, unadulterated devotion to the woman who had saved my soul.
I opened the box, revealing a flawless, six-carat emerald-cut diamond flanked by two crystalline gray sapphires—the exact color of my eyes and our son's.
"Tavlin Mitchell," I said, my voice steady, deep, and overflowing with emotion. "You gave me a son when I deserved nothing. You forgave a monster and taught him how to be a man. You are the heartbeat of my life, the queen of my home, and the only peace I will ever need in this world. Will you marry me?"
Tavlin covered her mouth with both hands, tears of pure joy spilling over her lashes. She didn't hesitate for a single second.
May you like
"Yes," she wept, throwing her arms around my neck as I stood up. "A thousand times yes, Mercer!"
I slid the ring onto her finger, lifting her off her feet, spinning her around in the firelight as our laughter echoed through the penthouse, drowning out the storm raging outside forever.
